We shall hereafter speak more particularly of the sentiment of the troops toward General Lee at this period of his connection with the army.  The great events of the war continually modified the relations between him and his men; as they came to know him better and better, he steadily rose in their admiration and regard.  At this time—­the autumn of 1862—­it may be said that the troops had already begun to love their leader, and had bestowed upon him as an army commander their implicit confidence.

Without this confidence on the part of his men, a general can effect little; with it, he may accomplish almost any thing.  The common soldier is a child, and feels that the directing authority is above him; that he should look upon that authority with respect and confidence is the first necessity of effecting military organization.  Lee had already inspired the troops with this sentiment, and it was mainly the secret of his often astounding successes afterward.  The men universally felt that their commander was equal to any and every emergency.  Such a repute cannot be usurped.  Troops measure their leaders with instinctive acumen, and a very astonishing accuracy.  They form their opinions for themselves on the merits of the question; and Lee had already impressed the army with a profound admiration for his soldiership.  From this to the sentiment of personal affection the transition was easy; and the kindness, consideration, and simplicity of the man, made all love him.  Throughout the campaign, Lee had not been heard to utter one harsh word; a patient forbearance and kindness had been constantly exhibited in all his dealings with officers and men; he was always in front, indifferent plainly to personal danger, and the men looked now with admiring eyes and a feeling of ever-increasing affection on the erect, soldierly figure in the plain uniform, with scarce any indication of rank, and the calm face, with its expression of grave dignity and composure, which remained unchanged equally on the march and in battle.  It may be said that, when he assumed command of the army before Richmond, the troops had taken him on trust; now they had come to love him, and when he appeared the camps buzzed, the men ran to the road, called out to each other:  “There goes Mas’ Robert!” or “Old Uncle Robert!” and cheers followed him as he rode by.

The country generally seemed to share the opinion of the army.  There was exhibited, even at this early period of the war, by the people at large, a very great admiration and affection for General Lee.  While in the Shenandoah Valley, where Jackson was beloved almost beyond expression, Lee had evidences of the position which he occupied in the eyes of the people, which must have been extremely gratifying to him.  Gray-haired men came to his camp and uttered prayers for his health and happiness as the great leader of the South; aged ladies greeted him with faltering expressions full of deep feeling and pathetic